Night's Tempest
by SetsunaNoroi
Summary: Nocturne comes across Vortex one day and makes a startling and terrifying discovery. But is he scared of Vortex, or the feelings brewing inside of his soul he long thought dormant? And what's Clockwork's part to play in this? Rated M for adult themes


Hey there! I promised this to a friend of mine as a request fic, xwocketx. She just adores the pairing of Vortex and Nocturne, and she recently won a contest of mine for my Dan/Clockwork club on DevaintArt. I promised to do a one shot fic for her of any pairing she wanted, and she picked them.

I can't say that I'm surprised. In fact, I am pretty pleased. I've been tempted to write something up for them for a while, so it was a nice excuse to put it on the top of my priority list.

Good lord though. I did NOT expect it to end up this long. Really, I didn't. It just... started small and grew. A lot. I kept having more and more ideas and well, like I said before, it grew.

And grew.

And then grew some more just to spite me!

So here we have most definitely my longest single chapter ever. It will probably keep the title too, since I never want to write something quite this long for a single sitting ever again. Seriously, this is too much for a one shot, but if I had made it multi-chap then who knows where it would have taken off. Not to mention, I did ask her if she would prefer a one shot or a multi when I was a fair way into it, and she said I should just go with the first option. Well, it did seem the most logical.

Anyway, enough babbling. Down to the nitty gritty. I don't own Danny Phantom. I don't own Vortex or Nocturne, and I definitely don't own the concept of them together. I do however own this idea of how they might have met, gotten to know each other, and maybe even had wild passionate love on the... oops! Don't wanna give it away.

So... don't sue me. Yeah, that was my point.

Ahem.

ON TO THE FIC!

Night's Tempest

Nocturne didn't ever think he would forget the first time he laid eyes on the ghost Vortex. Even if he had wanted to, he doubted such a lapse in his memory would be possible. Not that the effects of his memory had anything to do with said ghost. In fact, if it had not been for the insanity that had been going on around all of them, he very much doubted their first meeting would have stood out in his mind at all. If it had ever even had the chance to occur in the first place that is.

The ghost of sleep was not the type to enjoy nightmares in others. They were unpleasant and sour, never sitting well with him. If he'd been human, the feel of them would have probably been akin to trying to swallow boiled poison ivy. And while he did receive the same amount of energy from them, it did not leave him feeling very well afterwards. It always felt as if he had been kicked in the stomach. And the absolute worst part about them was when someone woke up from them suddenly. The sudden severed connection always gave him a feeling akin to whiplash, leaving him sore and cranky for a while.

It was probably one of the reasons he was so irritated when that blasted comet had been heading towards earth. Nightmare after nightmare about the death and destruction that was sure to come, it had been endless. The worries of the humans had infected everything, including their sleep, and in turn, Nocturne.

His job had always been to spread sleep, rest, and relaxation. In short, relief. He'd gotten bored with the job after a while and figured he might as well just do it once and get it over with. Would the world not be better off if it could simply sleep all the time and never have to worry about hardship? It was only the little ghost brat that stopped him.

It was a bit of irony to now that if he had succeeded, no one would be worrying as much about the whole fiasco now. If they were going to die anyway, would it not have been better to be blissfully unaware of the horror that awaited them. It certainly seemed to him the lesser of two evils.

Not that it had mattered.

No, the comet had still been coming, people were continuing to panic and Nocturne's headache's got worse by the moment.

He would have loved a sympathetic ear to listen to him, but it seemed all the ghosts were too busy panicking as well. Rushing around even worse than the humans were, it seemed the dead were even more afraid of dying. Or, to be technical, no longer existing.

He suppose it made sense. The beings of the ghost zone now had eternal existence to look forward to. The concept of no longer being around was an idea they had left behind with their mortal coil. While there was no physical heartbeat or the pumping of blood, many of them still saw themselves, for a lack of a better term, alive.

Well, the fact they no longer had that to assure them would frighten most he guessed.

Not to say he had been worried. Only irritated. He thought he had the right to be after all. The whole mess had been incredibly aggravating.

And then the little ghost boy Danny Phantom, bless the aggravating brat, had come up with the solution. Phasing the earth. Sounded so simple when said like that, even if it hadn't been. Already fighting days after days of getting a sort of double-ended sword of energy from the humans as they slept, he hadn't been in much shape to exert himself, but...

Well, everyone has their responsibilities. Even if it had been cumbersome, he'd hardly would have been foolish enough to refuse. Once the boy had gotten the majority favor on his side, he'd known better to be one of the naysayers.

Ghost had a bad tendency to lash out when they were cranky, and he certainly had no intention of painting a target on himself by refusing to go along with the plan. It would have been all he needed. Nightmares, getting pummeled by hundreds of ghosts at a time, and then forced to help out anyway.

He was a dreamer, but he wasn't insane.

And so he had found himself in the human world's North Pole along with the rest of the spectral population of the Ghost Zone. He could practically feel the shock radiating off of the humans as they watched it unfold in front of them.

So many of them had not even believed in ghosts, and now they all had to attribute their survival to them.

It was irony, to be sure.

It was amidst all of it, down to the hour of reckoning, that he saw the other ghost.

Nocturne knew of his brothers, fellow ghosts that had a higher calling, a higher purpose. Well, not so much ghosts since technically not a single one of them had ever died. They were something more than that, something that never really did have a specific name. Spirits, specters, angels, gods. It seemed every hundred years or so they had a new label, even if their duties had stayed the same. There were so many of them, and he had never fancied himself a bit of a social undertaker, so he hardly knew them all.

But, he still knew one when he saw one. Especially a ghost like Vortex.

He'd heard of Vortex, a lot. A being who was suppose to control the weather and bring balance to the world. End droughts with rain, calm tornadoes and tsunamis. Bring destruction where things needed to be thinned out, and then help it grow again through fair weather.

That had been eons ago though. Like Nocturne had once done, he had turned his back on the way things were supposedly suppose to go. The green ghost apparently fancied himself an artist, and that a civilization laying in ruin through foul weather was the best expression of his 'vision'. Harsh winds were but brush strokes and a dam bursting from days of falling rain was nothing more than mixing the paints to create his 'masterpieces'.

Despite being the same kind, he'd never laid eyes on the other. After all, how in the world did weather and dreams mix? Not at all, really. They had about as much in common as opera had with a rock band.

He found it interesting how Vortex would even agree to be there. Surely he would have found the appeal of a giant rock crashing into the earth. It would be the ultimate expression of destruction. But perhaps he had simple seen going along with the plan was just less hassle than trying to fight it. Somehow though, it didn't seem to fit a type like Vortex, at least as much as Nocturne even knew about him. He was wild, and from what the rumors expressed, common sense and the weather ghost did not belong in the same sentence, unless one was commenting on the point blank obvious lack of it.

No, for a ghost like him, it didn't seem likely he was simply following the flow. If there had been anyone that would have longed to go against what seemed like a good idea simply because he didn't want to, it was this ghost.

Which only left the conclusion that he did in fact want to help the world survive for some personal reason. Nocturne considered fear was a part of it, but it simply didn't fit him much either. No explanation he could come up with seemed to either.

The problem was he knew enough about Vortex to guess at his motives, but not nearly enough in order to pinpoint a satisfying theory that did not leave a bitter sense of high doubt in his mind. It was like trying to locate something small in a large area while blindfolded. He could grope around with his hands, but he was never guaranteed to find what he was looking for. Likewise, he could guess and theorize as much as he wanted, but it really didn't equate to anything.

He could have gone up and asked, but he dismissed the thought almost as soon as he had it. They didn't even know one another, and Nocturne still didn't consider himself social. Going up to him to ask him why he would rather save the world than follow his seeming nature of letting it get blown to hell and back would have been foolish, and a stray from his own nature.

Besides, there had been other things to worry about.

It hadn't even been that pressing a matter. Merely a moment of curiosity that fled when it realized it would not be addressed and answered. Nothing more than a literal passing fancy, a fleeting thought. So when he realized that, he went on to concentrate on the great lumbering machine that was intended to save everyone, human and ghost, and gave no more thought to the other great being he had spied upon.

And that had been it.

The first meeting had been dull, almost passed over with everything else that was going on. In fact, even calling it a meeting was foolish since the two never even spoke to each other at the time. Nocturne doubted the other had even looked back at him. Still, it was the first time he had noticed Vortex, even is Vortex had not noticed him. In Nocturne's mind, it counted at least, even if it had been, well... dull.

As it was though, he didn't ponder on Vortex after the event. The Ghost Zone and Earth had suddenly become very loud, celebrating nonstop. The cheers, the songs, the parties.

Nocturne was the type who liked rest, quiet, stillness. He felt the world was perfect when everything was tranquil. All the fuss going on was almost as bad as the nightmares. Irritating, endless fuss was not appealing to him in the least. He would have given anything to be away from it.

Which is probably why he had gone to Clockwork's Tower.

Nocturne had never really had much of an opinion of Clockwork. He neither liked or disliked the Time Master. He was a hardworking being to be sure, but he also had a air about him of superiority. Even to the Council of the Observants, he never bowed completely to their authority.

Of course, it didn't always make him popular. Over the years, some of their kind had strayed ever so often. And they were caught and punished. Nocturne himself had been forced to serve a nasty term of probation when Danny Phantom had sent him back to the Ghost Zone for his plan to send the whole world into slumber once and for all. He would not deny he did envy Clockwork's ability to stay on their good grace's while continuously sticking his tongue out at them.

It was a rare luxury that not all of them were allowed.

At the same time, he was gracious. He never implied he was better than anyone, even if you did feel at times you were the victim of his snarky wit. He never proclaimed to be the most powerful ghost out there, and he wasn't. Even he had his weaknesses, however next to impossible they were to exploit. It kept him bearable, even if there were those that murmured and snarled behind his back, made even more bitter by the fact that he knew they did it.

Regardless of all that though, Clockwork had a quality that made him the best candidate to visit occasionally. He was calm and the tower was quiet. It always made it the perfect spot to relax at. If Nocturne were the type to have friends, the Time Master would have been one for that reason alone.

"I have to admit," he said as he hung in the air on his back, "it is nice to be away from the celebrations. The way everyone is carrying on, the noise is deafening in some spots. It's enough to drive anyone crazy."

"Is there a better celebration than life though?" the other ghost countered. He himself was reclining on a sofa with only one armrest, and sipping a glass of wine. It was a rare sight to see him relax, but Nocturne supposed with the whole world celebrating, there was not much need to be working. Who would be threatening anything right now?

"It was never anything to worry about though," Nocturne replied. "Some of us should have really known better."

"Oh? And who are referring to?"

"Only everyone who knows you personally," he replied casually.

He received a raised eyebrow at this, but he only snorted in response to the look.

"Your whole reason of existence is to make sure the world keeps spinning," he replied in a drawl. "That comet would have reduced the earth to ash, nothing left but a tiny cinder that would be snuffed out and forgotten. And the ghost child was right. It would have taken the Ghost Zone as well, at least a large chunk of it. There would have been holes ripped into everything, chaos, things that have lasted for thousands or millions of years, gone in an instant. You never would have allowed that."

"I don't believe I did anything more than lend my phasing powers, much like every other ghost," Clockwork stated.

"True, but you knew the boy would come up with that plan. This whole time while everyone else was worried, you stood by, knowing you didn't have to interfere. All that was required of you was to wait, and it would all be fine."

"So it was the fact that I effectively did nothing that let you know everything would work out right in the end?"

"Am I wrong?" he challenged. "I have known you for a long time now, Clockwork. Before the concept of humans even being intelligent, back when our presence was much more well known. You favor the hands on approach only when it is required, and even then you leave it to the mortals to control their own destiny. The Observants claim you interfere too much, but you only step over their border of rules when it is necessary. We were never in any danger, and while the entire Ghost Zone may not know of your existence, enough of us should and be able to keep our heads in this kind of crisis."

"This is true," Clockwork replied. "But it's also why I try not to act directly. I can't allow every single person to rely on me to solve the problem, no one would ever try. Maybe it would start only as emergencies, but it would become smaller and smaller every time. No one would even make an effort, not seeing the purpose when I could just fix it with a snap of my fingers. They would stagnate."

"But you still solved the emergencies," Nocturne replied. "After all, we know what Danny was doomed to become. His family's fate was to die, and his was to rule by terror. No matter how that boy tried, he couldn't change his fate. You saved his family and friends, directly interfered."

"I don't act like that on such a grand scale," he reminded the other ghost. "There's no need for it. They have a strong fortitude, and a fierce determination to push through, no matter what the costs. It'd be counter productive to take that away from them."

The ghost frowned, realizing their argument was going in circles. They both knew he would have taken care of it if he had to, but as it was Danny's destiny, Clockwork was being difficult on purpose. There was no way for him to prove his point, even though they both knew he was right. And if he couldn't prove his point, Clockwork could pretend and deny all he wanted, just to frustrate the other.

He groaned a little, feeling his headache beginning to return. He was suddenly reminded again of why very few of their peers bothered to visit the Time Master.

On purpose or not, he was so irritating. And he knew it.

"Personally myself," he continued, as if having no idea how his words were affecting Nocturne. "I never believed anyone should know of my existence. I'm better working behind the curtain, and sadly it seems too often someone is ripping it back. I'm only relieved by the fact at least Danny hasn't tried to rely on me like that. One bad idea aside, he's been astounding about solving his own problems and learning from his mistakes. A lesson I think, that would be very good for you to learn."

Nocturne felt a flicker of anger in him and turned to Clockwork. The Time Master was sitting quietly though, drinking his wine. There had not been a hint of accusation in his voice, and the statement had seemed to be forgotten by him already, but Nocturne knew better. He snarled a little at the aloof attitude, now annoying him instead of bringing him any kind of peace.

"Are you referring to my loss against the boy?" he demanded.

"Amongst other things," he answered with a small shrug. "Settling yourself into the thoughts of nothing can ever go wrong always leads to downfall. While I do commend you on being able to keep calm in the face of total destruction, your lack of actions is hardly any better than those who panicked. Not doing anything because you don't know what to do isn't wrong, but sitting around and waiting for someone else to take care of it is anything but commendable. In fact, you're whole attitude of doing nothing would have led this whole place into oblivion."

"Oh?" he challenged. "I beg to differ, but if the world had slept, this never would have occurred in the first place. That meteor was knocked to earth by Plasmius. If he had slept, that giant rock never would have been touched, and everything would have been in peace."

"Nothing happening is not peace," he replied. "Being trapped in their own minds is just as bad as death. The world isn't meant to stop, to suddenly not grow anymore. You did what you did because you were finding your job tedious, and nothing more."

"You sound like the Observants now," Nocturne said. "I have already heard this from them, and served my punishment. Why you find the urge to go on and on about one mistake is beyond me. Perhaps you have not made one, but we are not all gifted with your foresight. I don't think all the years I have served should suddenly be tarnished by nothing more than a mere moment in comparison."

"No, it shouldn't. But I wasn't talking about just one moment. I am referring to your whole manor of existence," he replied as he sat up and floated to the other. "You glide along on fate, never acting, never letting yourself do anything. You're responsibilities were tedious, so you figured it was better to make the whole world sleep. Nothing more than an attempt to drag the whole world into stagnating with you. When was the last time you took action, real action? Danny asked the ghosts to help, you helped, and I know why. It was because it was easier, the path of least resistance. There was no noble purpose behind it. Even those who wanted to save their own skin longed to save someone."

"You're acting like I committed some huge crime," he bit out. "What, are you saying I shouldn't have helped, that I should have made a decision based on what I wanted and just told them to fix it themselves? That would have been worse. The fact is I did help, and the reasons I did were my own, whether they were noble enough for you or not."

Clockwork shook his head.

"I guess you're right. After all, what you do doesn't really hurt anyone, except for yourself."

Nocturne snorted, deciding he'd heard enough. The ghost was talking nothing but nonsense, and he wasn't in the mood to listen to it anymore.

"My nature is to follow the dreams," he replied. "While you may be the shaper of time, you know nothing about me, nor the work I do."

He quickly turned and made his way out of the clock tower, anger burning in him as he left the time ghost behind. Clockwork only sighed and shook his head as he watched him go.

"I at least know a dreamer should shape his own dreams," he said to the silence. "It's something you seemed to have forgotten."

#---------#

It seemed the celebrating masses were going to be persistent in their senseless holiday. Everywhere Nocturne went, whether in the Ghost Zone or in the human world, there were crowds upon crowds cheering and carrying on. Nowhere was safe from the noise and endless cries of how they were alive, safe, and well.

It was temping to see if he could somehow get the comet to come back, just to shut them all up.

He knew he was annoyed by it from the start, but surely others had to see by now that after a month, it was time to get over it. But no, it seemed everyone was very much happy to be alive and where not going to stop any time soon. It wasn't everyday the whole world en mass was threatened by death, and those who escaped such a fate usually wanted to behave radically about it, but he thought this was unreasonable. Parades, parties, festivals. It was a if the whole population of the world had suddenly though it appropriate to lose their minds.

There wasn't even rest from it. Even those knew that they had a real life to attend to, responsibilities, jobs, school, family, weren't any real relief. It was if they went through their duties just to get back to the party, and even when they worked, they had such a loud way about them. The whole world was happy, and it didn't look to be getting back to normal any time soon.

The Ghost Zone was even worse. No real responsibilities were known there honestly. Most ghosts spent the rest of eternity doing nothing. They had time to waste, and were making good use of it. The once morbid plane of existence suddenly seemed like it had exploded into a loud, colorful mess that no one would be trying to clean up, period.

Nocturne thought of such a celebration lasting for all eternity, and while he doubted such a thing was really possible, it still made him shudder.

And so he had found himself in the only place that was quiet anymore. A calming breeze was blowing pleasantly and soft snow drifted down to land on a bare and still landscape of white. Nothing moved as he watched the icecaps of the South Pole, generally hating everything and everyone at the moment.

On top of everything else, Clockwork's words had yet to leave his mind. Nothing else was as bad as what that old fool had said.

Unable to take action? Nocturne snorted. What was wrong with enjoying peace, slumber, rest? His world was one of quiet. Clockwork was a hypocrite to say anything anyway with how he'd preached how he preferred to stay on the sidelines. How dare he act so superior when he did the exact same thing, and even boasted about it?!

He knew there had been a time, when he'd been younger that he had certainly been more... giddy about his work. It had been fun to form dreams, to give fantasies to a sleeping mind. It's magic itself, to do anything and everything. But...

But such a thing was foolish. Humans had their own imagination, they could make their own dreams. He did not have to create them, just oversee them. He received his energy all the same, why waste himself in the process?

Besides, dreams did not last. No matter how beautiful, no matter full of magic or wonders, the mind woke up and the dream was forgotten. After a while it seemed like such a wasted effort.

And if his job was wasted effort, what was he? Was he just as useless, just as pointless?

Maybe he did ride fate into wherever it felt like taking him, but he saw no need to try anything else. If his only real purpose was to just exist with a title and duty that in the end meant nothing, why should he even bother.

His eyes scanned the white wasteland, focusing on one peak and sighed softly. Even something as grand as that would not last. Surely it would be there for a very long time, perhaps what would seem like an eternity to the humans in comparison to their own life span, but it would surely fade.

Eventually.

Suddenly a large bolt of lightening hit it, shattering the very land and Nocturne's eyes widened. He jumped up as snow suddenly became rain, pelting down on him and the snow as the crater left behind smoked.

Loud and high pitched laughter suddenly burst from the sky, clear as day even over the wind that was no longer nice and calm, instead reaching the speed of a hurricane. His peace was shattered and he glared up at the sky. Barely visible past the clouds, he saw a large shape of green amongst the gray. Snarling, he shot up into the storm like a bullet until he was right in front of Vortex. The weather ghost seemed too wrapped up, having his grand time, to even notice the other right in front of him, something that made his temper simmer.

He had come here for peace and quite. He didn't care about the planet surviving anymore. It had happened, it was the past. It didn't matter any longer. He'd gone to Clockwork and had been treated like a stupid little youth for supposedly wasting his life. The fact he helped save everything didn't seem to count, and now he was having to deal with this idiot when he had finally found a place to rest.

He reached back and suddenly slugged the ghost in the face as hard as he could, whipping Vortex's head off to the side suddenly.

"WILL YOU SHUT UP!" he screamed angrily. "I was here first! I found this place for peace and quiet! If you want to destroy something then go to the other side of the planet, you IDIOT!"

The volume of the wind began to slow down, the rain became little more than a sprinkle and Vortex very slowly turned his head back and looked at the dreamer. He seemed surprised, and Nocturne had to admit, he was a little as well. He didn't often lose control of himself like that, and he didn't think he could remember a time when he had just broken down and hit someone.

He wasn't about to back down because of that though. As out of character as the action might have been, it was justified and he was going to stand by it.

"Now then," he said to the still silent Vortex. "I do believe that I've made myself rather clear. At the moment, this is my territory. If you want to carry on and bring about storms and rain and lighting, and all this other work of yours, you can do it elsewhere. I don't ever care where, as long as it's far away from me. Hell, some of those idiotic humans could use a typhoon right about now. Might bring them back to reality."

Vortex however did not leave. He didn't even say anything. He justed stared at the ghost who had assaulted him and did nothing.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Nocturne asked, starting to feel a little uncomfortable with the intensity of the look he was receiving. He didn't remember ever being fixed with such a stare before. He wasn't going to allow himself to be intimidated though. "I thought I told you to leave."

"I know you," Vortex said calmly. It made Nocturne suddenly feel very uneasy. Hearing Vortex speak calmly had never been a good sign from what he had heard. As off balance as he was, it was a very, very bad thing to have him so... collected.

"I'm Nocturne," he replied, wondering if maybe he should just search for another place to stay. "I'm the ghost of-"

"I know who you are," Vortex interrupted, grinning. "Did my storm scare you?"

Nocturne flustered, his anger quickly overriding his feelings of unease.

"How dare you?" he snapped. "It has nothing to do with that! One of the storms couldn't frighten me, I don't care how magnificent you would try to make it!"

"You thought my storm was magnificent?" he asked, a odd gleam in his eyes all of a sudden. It was as if he was only listening to every other word that was coming out of Nocturne's lips, something the ghost found incredibly vexing.

"I did not say that," he hissed out. "I said that I want you to leave me alone. I had finally found a perfect spot to just relax, everything was peaceful. It was quiet, there was only a little bit of snow, I was-"

"Well if snow was you're request, you should have just said so," he said and turned, waving his arms with a bit of flourish. Nocturne imagined a blizzard tearing at him and briefly wondered if he could strangle another spectral being.

He was getting close to trying it.

He was surprised however when all that happened was that the weather returned to normal. Nothing but snow. In fact, he wasn't sure if it was just him or not, but it looked a little cleaner than last time. He didn't know how that was possible since there was no waste in the South Pole to dirty the snow, but somehow, it just seemed more... pure than the first fall of the white flakes.

The feeling of eyes boring into him was impossible to ignore and he turned to Vortex. The other ghost was in fact staring at him expectantly, as if waiting for praise. He sighed as he remembered his self-proclaimed title of being an artist. There was a very good chance he was going to be bothered until he gave the other what he wanted, something he did not look forward to very much.

"It's... soothing," he said, the best compliment he could come up.

Vortex continued to watch him, as if waiting for Nocturne to perform a trick.

"Yes, very calming," he tried again, doing his best to keep his so-called calm. "In fact, it seems to me that this is the sort of weather that is best to enjoy in the quiet and solitude."

Still no reaction from the ghost.

"Solitude," he repeated, feeling heat beginning to creep up into his voice. "As in being alone."

Vortex suddenly gave a harsh laugh. Nocturne jumped back a little, taken by surprise at the sudden reaction. What had he said?

"We already are alone," he replied after a moment, a snicker still in his voice. "Or have you not noticed where you are?"

If he had not already been tired of this, the ghost of dreams would have quickly been getting there. As it was, his tolerance for this ghost was not that high and he felt that Vortex was really pushing his luck.

"Do you mind?" he said angrily. "I have already told you countless times I wish to be left in peace. Just myself. No one else, including you. Now will you go away?"

Vortex finally seemed to understand that he was not welcome and he glared at the other.

"I gave you the weather you asked for," he snarled. "Don't you have any appreciation for art?"

Deciding enough was enough, Nocturne decided it was just time to put the insane fool to sleep and be done with it. Before he could even concentrate his energy though, Vortex suddenly made a grab at him. The contact was noticed immediately as fingers dug into his very being. He almost screamed, but the feeling was not an unpleasant one.

It felt like pure heat invading him. Neither one of them were phasing, but Vortex touch still sunk into him. Not by much. It was little more than when humans touched, how their skin would push against each other and move just slightly, but to Nocturne's senses, he felt a flicker of something very hot and very, very good.

Vortex pulled away so quickly for a moment Nocturne had to wonder if his imagination had just been playing tricks on him. But the sensation was still there, barely and it was quickly fleeing, but there. The expression on Vortex's face made it clear that he had experienced something similar, if not the exact same thing. Shocked, and maybe even seeming a bit frightened, he stared at his own hand as if waiting for it to give him some sort of answer to all of this. Slowly his gaze lifted and he looked up at the Nocturne.

Instinct told him this probably would have been a very good time to leave, but before he could even react, Vortex pounced, practically tackling him. He tried to wrench away as he was grabbed before hands began running over him and a powerful jolt shot directly into his brain.

"What... what are you... doing?!" he gasped out, for the first time ever feeling out of breath.

Vortex didn't seem to be listening, instead only bringing him closer. His tail tangled into Nocturne's many tendrils, the tip even trailing over one softly, as if trying to tickle his spectral flesh. The look in his eyes was purely predatory, and even if his actions were gentle, there was a threat of something worse thinly disguised underneath.

Nocturne practically jumped as fingers dragged over his chest. It felt like... He didn't even know what it felt like. Pure heat was pulsing through him and his mind was quickly melting under the assault. It pierced him fully, but instead of being painful, he felt his body relaxing. He shivered and tried to pull away, but the effort was so weak-willed that he might as well have not tried at all.

One look at the other ghost let him know that Vortex was enjoying it too. A look of pure bliss was on his face as he stroked, poked, and prodded him. It was as if he was experimenting with what felt good and what felt even better. All of it was too much to bear to Nocturne though, but he couldn't quite bring himself to actually try and get away. He wasn't even tugging at the grip holding him anymore, just squirming a bit wherever he was touched.

He heard pants and moans filling the air, not really able to believe it was him. It didn't sound like him. He was stoic, but the sounds escaping his lips sounded more like cries of passion.

"You're trembling," he heard Vortex say, only vaguely understanding what the other male meant. There was a bit of wonder in his voice but Nocturne really couldn't piece together why. Nothing was quiet making sense to him at the moment, but it seemed too peaceful, he didn't really have much urge to fight against it.

"You're so beautiful, like the build up to a storm. I wonder... could I make you howl?"

At first he thought that perhaps Vortex had wanted a response, but when he opened his mouth to say something, a strangled gasp was all that managed to make it's way through. A sudden spike of pleasure was dancing over his chest, feeling akin to being cut open and he watched, feeling very panicked when he saw Vortex licking, actually licking, at him! Long wet strokes curled over him but he could only cry out and squirm harder. He wasn't sure if he was really trying to get away, but it didn't really matter. Vortex was holding him firmly, unwilling to relinquish this pleasure he had stumbled upon. As terrifyingly good as it felt, the weather ghost would not let him go, only continued to drag his tongue over his chest, lapping at him like some sort of desert.

It went on like that for some time, touches and licks and all Nocturne could do was let him do it. He didn't really understand why he felt like this, but it was quickly consuming him, making him feel hotter and hotter, down to his core. Yet for some reason, even as it continued, all he could find himself doing was longing for more. The feeling was so erotic, to be floating in the clouds and to have a ghost he didn't even really know fondling him.

"Yes," he hissed despite himself as Vortex's tongue traveled up his thin neck. He whimpered, feeling it tickling at the hinge of his jaw, and traveling up along his cheek. If he had been watching this instead of experiencing it, he would have belittled the other for acting like some kind of dog, but he didn't mind at all. In fact, as Vortex attention started to focus on his lips, Nocturne only opened his mouth and let the other explore all he wanted, too far gone to be repulsed in the slightest.

The heat inside his mouth was even better that what he felt on his skin. It fully consumed him, sounds of pleasure coming from both of them now, but too muffled to matter at all, even if they had been trying to say anything coherent.

Nocturne would have wondered what was happening to him, but at this point it was only all too obvious. He had seen dreams like this, full of passion and heat, a need quickly consuming all rational thought until there was only the urge to feel all that one could. He did not understand how it had so quickly consumed him, but as it was, he did not care. Maybe it should have, but there was no fight left in him. He wanted the passionate way he was being kissed, wanted those heat bringing hands to consume him, needed the body literally wrapped around him to drown him in this rapture and never, ever let him go again.

Hands wandered to his back and he had to wonder if Vortex knew what he was doing. He didn't seem to think it was possible that this had happened to him before. The wonder in his actions was too sincere. He'd never felt this kind of pleasure before either, at least Nocturne was fairly sure about that. Which meant that it was his instincts alone that were probably leading him.

But leading them to what? Surely they weren't going to...

He gave a muffled sort of protest, but as Vortex was still dominating his mouth, he sounded only like another moan. Fire was still burning inside of him as he was caressed and held but he tried to ignore it. Instead he suddenly pulled his face away and before Vortex could even voice a complaint, a sphere of blue ecto dust was shoved in his face. Red eyes dulled and slit closed before Vortex simply slipped off of him, falling to one of the clouds before rolling over on his side, snoring peacefully.

Relieved, except for the odd feeling of loss that was suddenly curling up inside of him, he turned away from the sight of the sleeping ghost and fled.

#---------#

"He... he grabbed me! Just grabbed me and started touching me! I couldn't believe it! What in the world was wrong with him?!"

If Clockwork was feeling any sign of annoyance at Nocturne's sudden appearance in his clock tower, he wasn't showing it. The ghost of sleep and dreams was pacing, well, floating around in circles, wringing his hands and just generally rambling, his voice going from a soft whisper to a harsh shriek and then back again, over and over. He did nothing to interrupt Nocturne, knowing he needed to get it out of his system before any sense could be talked into him. Besides, he really wasn't going to last much longer at all, at least he shouldn't if Clockwork's staff was accurate on the time.

"YOU COULD HAVE WARNED ME, YOU KNOW!" the ghost suddenly screamed as he rounded on the Time Master.

Yes, right on time. Like always.

"I fail to see how this is my fault," he replied. "Not that saying that will stop you from telling me I take it."

Nocturne ignored the added quip at the end and got red in the face. How dare he act so calm about this?!

"You knew this would happen," he accused. "You know he'd touch me like that, knew I wouldn't be able to fight it! Why didn't you say anything to me, tell me what was going to happen?"

"You know, I seem to recall a conversation we had just a few weeks ago about how my purpose in life was not to solve every single little problem that popped up in someone's lives," he answered. "Don't you? After all, you where there when I said it. I know you were."

"Don't give me that," he hissed angrily. "You aren't suppose to become involved in matters that concern peace or chaos. Things that matter, are going to effect a chain of galactic dominoes in the fabric of the universe, are going to affect things that the mortals need to take care of themselves unless they can't for some reason. Your policy only affects things that matter, not inconsequential things like me being felt up!"

"And what makes you think it's inconsequential?" the Time Master asked suddenly as Nocturne continued to go on and on.

For the first time since he had arrived at the clock tower, Nocturne stopped. Turning slowly to look at the other being, he looked both shocked and confused at the interjected question.

"What?" he asked. His voice sounded a little strangled, as if he had had to work hard in order to force that one simple word out of his throat and past his lips. Despite asking for the clarification, he didn't sound as if he really cared to hear an answer or explanation.

"How do you know those events won't affect you later on, in the far or immediate future?" Clockwork asked again. "What makes you think it wasn't meant to happen, wasn't suppose to take place in order to push you into something? Something that could very well be meant to happen?"

What the Time Master was implying left Nocturne feeling a bit of unease. A part of him wanted to tell himself that Clockwork had to mean something different, that the ghost of dreams was just jumping to the wrong conclusion, but there was no real way to know for sure. Clockwork would not tell him one way or another, even if he were to ask. Begging and pleading would not drag a definite answer from him and Nocturne was not in any particular mood to try.

Mostly because he was a little worried he'd get an affirmative to what he was suspecting.

It was a small chance though. He could just be talking. It may not have mattered at all, a singular event that really meant nothing. He had not, after all, said that it did matter, just asked how did Nocturne know that it hadn't. It didn't really necessarily mean anything, nor did it have to. It could just be his passive aggressive nature at work yet again with the other ghost just being one of many that was easily driven to paranoia and annoyance by it.

Or he could be implying that Nocturne was somehow linked to Vortex now and just had not chosen to say it out right yet.

The chance, even small, kept his lips sealed instead of allowing the question to slip past. It was probably silly and immature of him, but he kept the silence anyway. The one little comment had rattled him, true enough, but that didn't mean he had to let it keep doing so.

Instead he thought for a moment and sighed, a different and slightly more important question coming to his rapidly calming mind.

"Do you know... what caused the reaction at least?"

"Yes."

Nocturne narrowed his eyes in annoyance. Of course Clockwork knew. That much was obvious. But when he said no more than that, his tempter started to heat up again.

"Don't play this game with me," he said. "You know I want to know what happened, and why. You can tell me, and if there's anyone else who can, I don't know who they are. I-"

"You should have just been able to figure it out on your own," he suddenly interrupted the other ghost. "See, this is why relying on me for everything proves to be a very poor idea in the long run."

"Are you going to tell me or not?" he asked testily.

"Very well," he replied. "The truth is, when he touched you, phases in you really, even if only slightly, your ecto energy in a way mixed. You could feel the pulse of his essence, and he yours. To mix like that isn't something to take lightly and in your case it created very powerful feelings of pleasure. It was a feeling of pure euphoria that you both reacted to. Of course, you could have just pulled away, but Vortex is much more impulsive. When he felt the sensation, he wanted more, craved it. When he realized touching you is what gave it to him, he clung to you and the sensations grew for both of you."

Nocturne felt a little odd about the explanation. He wasn't sure what to make or it really.

"Our essences... merged?" he asked.

"No," Clockwork said as he shook his head. "At least, not in the way you think. You're still you, and he's still him. No, what you did was more along the line of the lead up to intercourse. In fact, it's very common for ghosts to do on purpose actually."

"If that's the case," Nocturne snorted, suddenly not believing this at all. "How come I have never felt this sensation before? This is idiotic."

"When was he last time you touched someone?" he asked, his tone a little clipped. "The last time you really touched someone? Not just a brush or an accident? He pushed inside of you, stroked your soul, and that kind of action can affect anyone, especially if they've gone so long without any kind of contact, like you have. You seek solitude, desire to be alone more than anything, and it's left your inner being starved. When you encountered Vortex, who is alone like you are, but more because others shun him than because he longs for it like you do, there was an immediate reaction. He is a live wire compared to you, full of life. It was like electricity coming into contact with water, and the both of you were drawn to it."

Even though he felt like he was being reprimanded like a child, the explanation did unfortunately make sense. He had to admit, Clockwork was right. It was not as if he just went around touching other ghost's souls. In fact, he had never really experienced anything like that. He swallowed, remembering the pulse of pleasure that assaulted him, over and over again in the steady erotic rhythm.

Had... had that been Vortex's soul? His very life that had touched him?

Silence hung in the air for several minutes. The Time Master did not push Nocturne to say anything, have him all the time he needed to process the thoughts in his head. He was a little grateful, but on the other hand, he wished something would break the silence and distract him. He wasn't even sure he wanted to be thinking about this. Something about it all just had such a sobering feel to it and it made him feel more than just a little uneasy and unsure.

"I think," he said after a long while, "I need to think about this some more. Somewhere... somewhere alone."

Clockwork didn't stop him when he left, only providing him with a simple and polite good bye. It was one thing to be grateful for at least. He didn't really need any more complicated conversations at the moment, too many revelations in his mind as it was.

It was just shocking more than anything else. To go from one encounter with the ghost, barely noticing one another and moving past it, to... to... Well, to what had happened. Nocturne was not even really sure there was a word for it. None of them really seemed to fit the situation at all.

But whatever it was, whatever it had been, after talking to Clockwork about it, he wasn't entirely sure he could move past it so easily this time.

Had this been what he had talked about, Nocturne not... living enough? Had Clockwork actually been encouraging this with what he had said before? Did he think that his tendency to only follow the flow would somehow change for the better because of Vortex?

He knew what he would have done before this whole comet mess. He would have just forgotten it. He would have told himself the whole affair was foolish and pathetic and just plain beneath him. It should have been an easy thing to do, would have been if not for that blasted conversation with Clockwork. Something inside of him told him this time, maybe it was just best to take action, to do something he normally wouldn't.

#---------#

Finding Vortex was relatively easy. All Nocturne had had to do was just wait for him to sleep, find the connection and follow it. Of course, that was the plan. It had actually take Vortex several days to sleep, which somehow didn't really surprise him for some reason. All he could think of was a foolish little child who would stuff themselves full of sweets and sugar and then do his best to stay up a long as possible. He imagined with all the energy the weather ghost had, something like that would actually be quite easy.

In fact, something told him it probably wasn't uncommon at all for Vortex to spend days on end without sleep. It certainly would explain a few things.

It took even longer for Nocturne to follow the trail too. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to or not. After all, Vortex was... well, Vortex. Wild and a little unhinged, loud and obnoxious. So many things inside of that ghost that Nocturne wasn't. Not only wasn't, but didn't even like. Even though he was fully aware every time the other ghost would actually dream, it was another full month before he finally had the fortitude to follow through the find the other.

He was not surprised to see the weather was acting up when he found the ghost, though he was a little surprised to see where it was. A large, dangerous dessert, dry everywhere and very uncomfortable, but it was not in the human world, instead a place rarely visited in the Ghost Zone. Not even the dead really cared for the blistering heat, the dry sands, or the little annoying creatures that lived under the sand, mostly animals and other nasty things. Even Nocturne, who was happy anywhere as long as it was quite cared little for this place.

But it was raining. The driest place in the Ghost Zone, where there had never been water, suddenly had a light sprinkle that just happened to be falling over it.

It couldn't have been more obvious if there had been a hotel with a flashy neon sign. Nocturne didn't understand how he evaded capture from the Observants so well. He always had to make it obvious it seemed. And it didn't even make sense why he was always so willing to risk it.

Oh wait. Attention seeking artist. Of course.

Sighing, he made his way through the clouds, only surprised by the weather in the lack of extremes about it. A shower seemed very low key, opposite of what Vortex was suppose to be. But when Nocturne came upon one cloud that had him curled up on it, sleeping peacefully it did seem to make a bit more sense. He had a feeling the rain was more a unconscious action than anything else. Perhaps it was just a window into his mood.

For a while Nocturne just floated there, watching him. It was very odd to see the eccentric, aggressive ghost so quiet and tame. Even though he had spied countless beings sleeping so many times in his existence, this time was so much more fascinating that it had ever been before. It was just somehow so enrapturing.

The longer he watched the other ghost, the more fascinated he seemed to become by it. He couldn't help but wonder what he was dreaming. What could make someone such as him so calm? Before he even knew it, he was reaching out for Vortex, wanting to connect with him, wanting to see.

He almost immediately regretted it, seeing in an instant that despite how calm he might have appeared on the outside, what was going on in his head was anything but. Nocturne say in Vortex's dreams himself, panting and moaning, begging for more as Vortex kissed and licked at him and... did more.

He watched the images unfolding in his own mind, as if he were having the exact same dream, and the effect it was having on him was not unnoticed. He could feel the same familiar pleasure from before curling up and rising like smoke inside of him, heating his core warmly and leaving him very distinctly fuzzy in the head. A pleasant sort of ache was taking hold of him, and even though it wasn't as driving as it had been when he was being clutched to and played with, it was no less enjoyable, or any easier to ignore.

He had seen these sorts of dreams before. All the time. They were not ever very uncommon. But to have it be about him, to see and hear himself in the throws of sexual ecstasy and literally crying out for more with every passing moment. It was nothing he had really ever experienced before.

He was not sure if he liked it or if it scared him.

Vortex gave a small groan in pleasure and rolled over onto his back, causing Nocturne to panic a little and jerk back. The connection severed in an instant, snapping much like a thread under too much pressure and caused an unpleasant stab of pain inside of his head. Vortex must have felt it too, because within seconds his eyes snapped open, seeing the other ghost before he even had a chance to flee.

It must have seemed odd, to have been having what could only be described as a wet dream and then suddenly be rudely woken up to see the very being you were dreaming about. Nocturne was close too, practically on top of him, and worst yet, could think of nothing to say. He wondered if Vortex knew his dream had been invaded, that his sleeping fantasies had been seen, and even more than that, enjoyed.

Then again, Nocturne was getting the feeling the other ghost really didn't care when he was grabbed suddenly and shoved onto his back, Vortex kissing him hard and demanding.

The pleasure once was once again in him, but instead of the filter it was before during the dream, it just exploded inside of him now. He gasped loudly underneath of him, something that only allowed Vortex's tongue to invade his mouth. Whimpering a bit, he struggled as wave after wave of burning heat washed over him. His mind was started to fade, desiring nothing more than to just give into the assault, loving the feel from being touched and teased.

"Why did you run?" Vortex suddenly demanded after he wrenched his mouth away. He had the other relatively pinned, but he wasn't sure he'd really want to run anyway. "Do you know how long Vortex was looking for you, how many places were checked? Hundreds. Mountains, oceans, valleys. All quite, all for solitude, but you were nowhere!"

The angry accusation took him a little by surprise. To hear the other had been looking for him,but more than that he had look in so many in just under a month. Was that why he had spent so little time sleeping? Why he was in the Ghost Zone rather than the human world that he loved to terrorize.

"You left me."

Even though it was said softer, calmer, this time it somehow affected Nocturne even more. The words sounded, sad, disappointed, and it matched the expression on Vortex's face. There were traces of worry there, as if scared he would flee again and leave the other alone. Something about the sight made his gut twist with guilt, and he found he didn't want to leave again. Foolish as it was, as unlike him as the thoughts were, he wanted to stay near the ghost.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and reached up, tracing his hand along Vortex's face. "I got startled. But I came back. I won't leave again."

It was easing the fears of a child, but his gentle words seemed to be getting though. He didn't look quite relieved yet, but the grip on Nocturne eased and let go. Smiling softly, the ghosts of sleep and dreams sat up, cupped the face of the other male and kissed him chastely.

"See?" he breathed, the charge from the little kiss alone making him feel tingly. "It's okay. I want it too. I won't run. We can do all we like."

Vortex's eyes lit up, a grin breaking out. It was a little twisted, and maybe even should have been foreboding, but instead Nocturne only found himself excited by the look.

"All of it? Anything I want, you'll give me?" Vortex whispered huskily. His hands began to wander, tracing over Nocturne's hips in little teasing circles.

"Yes," he nearly gasped back. "Anything and everything. Just do whatever you want."

A dark chuckling sounded, and Nocturne looked at him, a blush creeping up his face. It was a laugh that promised dark desires fulfilled, sin and naughty fun dangled in front of his face. Seemed Vortex was all to willing, even eager to give them both exactly everything they wanted. And Nocturne spoke the truth. He really did want all of it.

Kisses slowly were placed on his neck, moving downwards with each one. Heat flashed in him every time as Nocturne gave a little whimper of a moan. He tilted his head up, allowing Vortex to do more, touch wherever he might like. Hand caressing him made him cry out softly and caress him back. He felt the same sensations under his hands that he had in his skin. Even with Clockwork explaining it, he couldn't quiet wrap him mind around it.

Because somehow, it seemed a little more special than their energies where touching. He really felt like he was part of the other.

Instinct led him more than anything else. Hot kisses, touches that were becoming more and more passionate. It seemed like the month since their last encounter had not even happened. They had just fallen right back into the moment as if they had never stopped. Nocturne wrapped his arms around the other, kissing desperately as his lover half began to wrap around Vortex, almost consuming him.

"Mmm," he whined out, feeling so light and heavy at the exact same time. The pulsing was getting stronger, driving him crazy with a frantic need. Seemed the closer he pressed, the more he wanted. "Vortex... please..."

"Relax," the rough voice of the ghost whispered, even though Nocturne felt he could do anything but that. Relaxing wasn't possible. Not anymore. He had to wonder if it ever would be again.

Even as frantic as he felt though, the motions seemed so fluid and easy. He could barely differentiate one moment from the other, when he had his tails to when they had formed into two legs that Vortex was slowly spreading, a look of a predator in his red eyes. A tongue flickered out, licking green lips and Nocturne swallowed.

How was it so possible to feel safe and in danger at the same time? How could he be both scared and comforted? There were so many emotions whirling up inside of him, conflicting and yet they all seemed to fit somehow. He was feeling so many different, radical things, but he still only wanted one thing.

"Vortex... I... Ahhhh!" he cry seemed to echo in his own head as that tongue touched him, licking hungrily at his length. He twisted a bit, but dared not to move to much, not willing to ever, EVER, lose what he was feeling at the moment. He had felt Vortex licking at him before, but this was so much more magnified. It felt a hundred times better, a hundred times hotter. Somehow it felt it should have hurt, pleasure this intense, and it almost did. Flipping back and forth, it was like he was going through both and neither at the exact same time.

Panting, he was only barely aware of Vortex moving back over his body, touching, kissing everywhere as he went before he was looking down at him, grinning a bit.

"You're beautiful, but do you howl?" he asked wickedly.

Nocturne swallowed the lump in his throat and slowly reached for Vortex, stroking him and making the weather ghost moan himself.

"For you, I have a feeling you could make me do anything," he confessed in a little growl. It didn't sound like him, it really didn't, but for once, he just didn't find himself caring.

Seeming pleased with the response he'd received, Vortex kissed the other again, moving slightly, suddenly and then Nocturne did howl. He howled, moaned, whimpered, all of it. He begged for more as they moved, exactly like in the Vortex's dreams. Nothing had ever made him feel so complete, so fulfilled.

The wonderful, familiar heat felt like it would explode inside of him, curling tighter and tighter in his body. His chest ached, and he clung to the other. He still remembered their first encounter, the meeting when they didn't even meet. He remembered how he had wondered about him and had wanted to talk to him, even though he hadn't. He had just thought there hadn't been any real reason to approach him.

He told himself he was an idiot before firmly deciding he was asking Vortex why he chose to help save the world when they were done.

The End

Hee. Okay, corny ending, but I fully admit I am a bit of a sap. Hey, you work with what you got.

The love making scene was a bit abstract, but the truth is, I wanted to keep it that way. I think it kind of fit. Nocturne's a bit tough to write any other way. He's a bit bland, even as cool as he is. Contrast, I know, but the challenge made it all the more fun. When he has only one episode, there isn't much to base a character concept on I suppose, but he just struck me as a very lucid being most of the time. Except when he gets mad, then he's more like a nightmare.

Vortex was also pretty fun. Seriously, he's just... out there. I think you could do just about anything with him and make it work with half an effort. He's a relatively fun character that can just go about anyway you want him to.

Well, I've said more than my piece. I hope you liked this xwocketx, and everyone else too. Please review to let me know your thoughts.


End file.
